There are many different kinds of swallowtail butterflies, found in both the tropics and temperate zones. These butterflies like to feed off of citrus plants when they are in larvae form. Something special about them is that they have forked wings at the tail portion. When they are caterpillars these forks secrete smelly stuff called terpenes. An acid they carry also protects them from predators.

Heliconius Butterflies

These butterflies come in many different colors and can be found in many places around the tropics and subtropics. Their bright colors are usually warnings to predators that they are not something tasty to eat. Some butterflies will copy this butterfly’s color so they are also protected from predators. They use passion flowers as their larval food source. Heliconius erato, or the Red Postman is named so because of a red stripe across its wings.

It can be hard to tell apart from other Heliconius butterflies because there are so many copy cats. The female lays one egg a day on the tip of passion flower leaves. They also are able to eat pollen and usually live in gardens, plantations and forest edges. Heliconius charitonia is yellow and black in color and is commonly known as the Zebra Longwing, pictured above. This particular butterfly is found in young or disturbed forest. The females lay their eggs on passion flower vines. Heliconius hecale is the most common Heliconius butterfly. It is orange and black and usually has yellow spots. These butterflies live almost anywhere and they will protect their food plants from other butterflies. Butterflies are probably a good indicator of the health of the rainforest plant ecosystem.

Owl Butterfly (Caligo sp.)

Owl butterflies are HUGE - they have a wingspan of about eight inches (20 cm)!

Like several other rainforest animals, the Owl Butterfly has a special feature that allows it to escape predators. For this butterfly, the defense is a giant eye spot on each of its hind wings. When the butterfly spreads its wings, the two eyes look like an Owl's face. Little birds that eat butterflies get eaten by owls, so they fly away from the scary butterfly.

These butterflies eat banana leaves when they're young. The caterpillar is very, very ugly, but look at the beautiful butterfly it becomes!

Another beautiful butterfly of the rainforest is called a Morpho, and it has neon-blue upper wings. When it closes its wings, the undersides look like an Owl Butterfly's, but when it opens them you can see the bright blue tops.

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